Solar energy: the debate

In the last of our series of factsheets on energy generation technologies we look at solar photovoltaics (PV).

Although there are some exceptions, solar energy generation is fairly uncontroversial in the UK. Nevertheless, despite the widely recognised need to increase the proportion of renewables in our energy portfolio, to meet international emissions targets and combat climate change, solar power has not taken off as significantly as may have been expected. However, perhaps this is beginning to change, as it is reported that solar power generation in the UK has almost doubled in the last year.

This factsheet looks at some of the key questions and potential issues for solar energy in the UK.